Grateful Gretta

Ok, my name ain’t Gretta . . . and, I haven’t been very grateful for much of anything today.

So I’d like to take this moment to say:

I am grateful for the morning . . . sunshine or rain.  I am grateful for that first cup of coffee and the six cups that follow suit.  I am grateful for the healthy, robust tots that bound out of bed, full of energy and zest first off . . . even before my first cup of coffee.

I am grateful for my own health as I pound the miles in my mid-morning jog . . . no matter how mundane the exercise feels at times . . . I know its a blessing.  I am grateful for salty, sweet (and everything in between) snacks that keep toddler tots happy through the hour of jogging.  I’m grateful for my tunes that keep my mind preoccupied, especially when the miles seem unending.  I am grateful for the good shoes that keep my feet from hurting.

I am grateful for the food on the table . . . even if it just a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips on the side. I am grateful for the smiles and the “thank you’s” that typically follow.

I’m even grateful for the whininess and crankiness that soon sneaks into the tot’s happy demeanor . . . because nap time nears and sleep invades and mom gets a break from serving.  I’m grateful for the two hour delay in the middle of the afternoon . . . giving me time on this silly thing; time for many silly me things.

I am grateful for that phone call . . . from a busy hubby, just to say he was thinking of me.  Speaking of, I’m grateful for a hard-working and devoted husband that I married.

I am grateful for the nap time to end . . . even the two short hours of being away from the boys reminds me how much I love them . . . how much I enjoy serving them . . . and how empty my life would be without them.

I am grateful for the time outdoors . . . rain, shine, snow . . . doesn’t matter . . . we usually brave it and those times are forever embedded in my memories.

I am grateful for my hot-air popcorn popper.  I am grateful for an expansive library of kid’s movies, as we sit and hang out together.  I am grateful for my giant bright red rocking chair.  Never buy furniture doped up on hormones (bought it while I was 8 months pregnant).  But I love the Ronald McDonald chair, mostly because I nursed both my boys into their first year of life in it.

I am grateful for playdough, coloring books, colors, the activity table, hotwheels, safari jungle animals, and all the other toys and stuff that allows me to interact, entertain and teach my youngsters.

I am grateful for the roof over our heads.  I am grateful that our bills have never become an issue.  I am grateful for our running vehicle.  I am grateful for all the tiny things that make our house a home.

I am grateful for the opportunities lended us.

Ultimately . . . I am grateful for the God that provides all good things . . . I am grateful for the God that protects, cares for and truly loves us . . . unconditionally.

Material things have no value . . . without the God of peace, love and truth reigning in our home!

Highchair Monster

Tickled Pink

I am grateful for God’s hand in my life . . . all of my life!  No matter which way or where I strayed to, HE has loved me back into HIS presence and into submission to HIM! By HIS loving kindness HE brought me to repentance . . . over and over and over again!

I love the Lord of Lords and my Savior!!

God Bless your Sunday!!

grateful

Today I am grateful.  I am grateful for my unconditionally loving God, my awesomely hot husband, my two beautifully bright children, my completely provided for life, and the grace and faithfulness of God to keep covering it and creating it!

I dream a lot. Last night’s dream, that I won’t go into, brought perspective to the malcontent that creeps into my being; dissipating it completely, for now.

God Bless!

Hubby and Toby being goofy. Summer of 2007

b-day

Tobias might be slightly confused.  He received a birthday card, in the mail, from grandma (my mom) last Sunday and toted it around for 3 or 4 days. The card was a bit larger than a regular birthday card and Thomas the Train graced the front and interior of it. The center, sort of kind of, popped up when you opened the card. I explained that his birthday was this week and so on.  So its been Tobias’ birthday for nearly a week, in his mind I’m sure.

To add to the confusion, I bake a cake . . . a nice cake, mind you . . . and Justin, myself, Tobias and Sam all celebrated together last night, after our trip to Toys’R'Us for him to spend the gift card that had been enclosed in the card Grandma M. sent.

Tobias on our way to Toys’R'Us . . . mmm juice

Tobias admiring some of his gifts . . . ones he picked out Very concentrated!

Pics of the cake . . . nothing spectacular but it turned out to be a good carrot cake w/cream cheese frosting . . . and, of course, candy ocean decs.

Tobias blowing the candles out . . . he was so proud of himself! So cute!

Tobias, thoroughly enjoying his gigantic piece of cake . . . not sure what I was thinking.

Samuel, enjoying a generous helping of T’s bday cake.

So we had much fun with Tobias yesterday afternoon/evening and then I went to the party warehouse place up here in Keizer and bought a few things to decorate for today’s extravaganza.  My sisters and their offspring came up today to celebrate, yet again, the 3 years Tobias has graced us with his personality and presence . . . 3 years that I am beyond grateful for.

In the midst of decorating for today (late last night) . . . remember we are in an apartment . . . at least until J is out of school . . . excuse the ugly pantry doors. hee hee

We had a great time hanging out and reconnecting (its been awhile since I had seen them all)  . . . we also utilized the playground. What else are you going to do with 3 toddlers and a 10 month old baby?

My sister, Amy, and her gargantuan camera . . . she is always the designated photographer . . . her own fault for buying such a load of camera!   Nah, she loves it!

My sista, Tiff, feeding Aidrik . . . he’s 10 months old! Holy mackerel, where has time flown to?

My eldest sister, Kelli, um . . . she’s concentrating real hard on that bag of chips . . . I think . . . Look at Toby, I think he’s frightened a little bit.

All the tots at play . . . thank goodness for playgrounds!

Samuel is covering his legs in bark-a-mulch . . . Braxton is digging in the potted flowers, aka throwing dirt with glee . . . and Tobias is happily playing with a few of his new cars and trucks.  I believe we called it quits outside seconds after this shot . . . the boys were getting very tired and it was warm . . . almost hot today, so we had had our fill.

The cupcakes created just for today’s fiesta.  Easy peasy and fun . . . nothing worth writing home about, but it cured the sugar craving of one 3 year old and 6 other hungry patrons. . .with the help a little banana cream pie icecream on the side.

Tobias water-painting for the first time, thanks to Aunt Kelli for the gift of the paints and book! Check out the cupcake in his right hand . . . hee hee

He got so much from his Toys R Us run we picked these hideous monster trucks out for him (he loves them!!) and waited until to today to give them to him.  He went to bed tonight . . . his monster trucks resting by his pillow.

Samuel managed to finagle two monster trucks from Tobias’ hot hand . . . no idea how!

So, there’s the picture show.  Hope it wasn’t too dull. I decided I didn’t want to be up until 3am editing pictures and such . . . so I just put them on here as is.  I tend to do this blog thing more for me and my fam than anything else, so there it is.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Tobias . . . many many many more to come!! God willing.

God Bless!

Happy Valentines

Its Valentines . . . weird! I have an abundantly loving relationship with my husband. We have our differences, as all experience, but overall very very good! I’m taken aback, many times, by how well we fit together . . . especially taking in how differently we were raised. But the hubby had to remind me that it was Valentines today.

He came in from being at school last night, since before the sun rose that morning. He was tired and has another mid-term today so his mind was busy on the going ons of school. He sits next to me on the couch while the boys played, mostly climbing all over us, and apologized for the long day he was to endure today . . . saying he wasn’t going to make it home for dinner or to spend any time with me on Valentines.

I think my response was something along these lines, “Tomorrow is Valentines?!”

I literally looked at the calendar (yes, sometimes I forget what date it is . . . the joys of being a stay at home mom). “Look at that, tomorrow is Valentines!”

Now, I think Justin was surprised. Every year prior, though since kids the expectation has been reduced with other worries and thoughts, I have been extremely upset if he even pretended to forget any holiday that pertained to me . . . i.e., b-day, Valentines, Anniversary, Christmas, 4th of July, Martin Luther King jr day, Halloween . . . just kidding, just the top 4. So I brushed it off and kind of laughed at the thought that I completely and utterly forgot this love holiday . . . he watched me closely for negative undertones, but there were none to be found.

I’m aware of how much this man loves me every day, every week, every month, every year . . . our love has only grown and matured . . . apparently so that my self-centered view has dissipated a bit . . . not totally, wait until anniversary or b-day time . . . but its a step. If he comes through with candy or gifts, yay for me . . . but honestly that worry/expectation just isn’t nagging me this time around.

I love this man with all that I am . . . with great ease at times and with great difficulty at others . . . but I remain in love and will forever! Thank you, God, for such a good, thoughtful, caring, sensitive, super-dad, driven, motivated, positive, and Godly man! Thank you!

life goes on

Hey . . . life goes on.  No word from the Salem Police about our car, so I’m assuming they didn’t find it.

BUT, I don’t feel down anymore about it.  I feel hopeful. The kindness of people never ceases to amaze me! I pray I can always always show kindness and compassion and not judgment, even if I don’t know or understand the whole story.  Justin went on to school and the T.O.’s (I think that’s what he calls’em, the ‘higher ups’)  gave him turnout boots, yeah almost brand new 300$ Danner turnout boots! Thank you Jesus! One of his professors let him into the not-so-accessible library to “check out” a few of the books he needed. Otherwise very expensive to replace . . . again, Thank you, Jesus! We’ll see what else God decides to do. That’s all I’ve heard reported thus far. And all I’m seeming to gleen from this is just return the compassion and kindness when it’s my turn. Help me to recognize when its my turn, God!

I made these fantastic oatmeal, raisin, cinnamon and some nutmeg scones. They are tasty. I don’t make scones very often cuz I wanna eat’em . . . ALL THE TIME! What’s wrong with me? mmm, scoooonnnneesssss!!  Baked goods in general . . . but the subdued flavor of scones, mmmm.

Ok, enough of that!!

Sooo, I gotta go get a bunch of insurance quotes. Cuz now all we have is the van and the van is paid off, soooo all we have to get is liability.  We, unfortunately can’t afford the ‘ideal’ (full coverage) cuz we don’t have a lot of money (or any money whatsoever). But no fear, God is here!!

Ok, I’m going, I’m just being goofy cooky crazy and I got some insurance sites to visit. Lucky lucky me!

God bless!